


come out and see me

by haljordae



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Friendship/Love, M/M, Romantic Friendship, So Many Dialogues I Can't
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-03 15:23:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13344030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haljordae/pseuds/haljordae
Summary: Kyungsoo grew up believing that his father had put the moon up for him the night he was born into this world. Twenty years later, the celestial body has become a silent reminder that regardless of the oceans and islands to stretch between him and Jongdae, the distance no longer matters as long as they're looking up to find the same moon staring back at them.





	come out and see me

**Author's Note:**

> I really had no idea why I wrote this, but happy Kyungsoo day, nonetheless. And I found out that it was full moon on the night of his birthday last year (and in 1998, which is why I made Kyungsoo 5 year younger in this story).
> 
>   
> Graphic by [_**lolthefudge**_](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolthefudge/pseuds).

 

 

 ** _“Damn, Soo. You_** **did _shave_** your hair!”

The vast sky, painted in the darkest shade of the night, is soon replaced by a familiar face, rolling into Kyungsoo’s field of vision. A small scoff escapes his lips almost like a reflex – after all, it’s not his first time to hear such a response, especially when it always comes out from Byun Baekhyun’s lips (and usually is soon followed with a hand, which always lands on the crown of Kyungsoo’s head, as the boy rubs it with an unequivocal pleasure on his face).

“For million times: _yes_.” The boy rolls his eyes, yet the chuckle escapes his lips nonetheless. “I bet Baek has made sure that my photo’s always attached to every message he sends to you.”

The eyes, narrowed into the shape of crescents adorned by the same endearing crinkles, linger, so do the wide smile drawn by the lips. “Where’s Baek?” The words roll smoothly from the tongue; there’s a pleasant timbre in the voice that soon blankets Kyungsoo’s heart snugly and warmly.

Ah, Kim Jongdae does give him feelings Do Kyungsoo cannot quite put into words.

“He left before Christmas, saying something about spending the last weeks in Bali before flying to Kuala Lumpur. He told me that Chanyeol would be there too so they could spend the New Year’s Eve together,” Kyungsoo brings the enamel cup closer to his lips and sips the warm black coffee. “I thought he told you too?”

Jongdae shakes his head, his bottom lip juts out a little. “Nope, he didn’t. Thought he was still with you. And Soo, that’s… a funny-looking cup you have.”

“Dae, if Baek didn’t leave, we wouldn’t be talking now; chances are I might not be staying here too. And do you like it? My friend has let me use once she found out that I liked it,” Kyungsoo’s mouth stretches into a grin, wide enough to flash his pink gum, and the boy brings the cup closer to the webcam.

The other boy leans closer, brown orbs round in curiosity. “Buy one for me, would you? The pattern doesn’t look like something you can easily find anywhere else.”

“Worry not; I bought two for us few days ago while shopping. I haven’t forgotten your request, which – in all honesty – sounds more like a demand.”

The laughter coming from Jongdae’s beam is just another thing that draws a ghost of smile on Kyungsoo’s lips. The latter keeps his own chuckling as low as he can, not willing to cause any noise to taint the peaceful quiet of his surroundings. “That’s my revenge, Soo,” Jongdae cocks an eyebrow, a smug look carved on his features. “It’s your fault for not telling me that you’ve been planning to leave one semester early to travel first. And where are you now, by the way? I’ve lost track ever since you moved from one place to another too soon. Didn’t you and Baek go trekking last month to see the sunrise?”

Pressing his chest against his knees where his head lies on, Kyungsoo turns to face his friend. He wiggles lightly until the uncomfortable pressure in his earlobe caused by his ear bud lessens greatly. “And I’ve said yes to your request; I’ll bring you whatever stuff from every place I’ve visited. I even sent you the video of the sunrise. Are you satisfied now?” His arms are around his legs, hugging the limbs a little tighter once the cool gust of wind grazed his skin.

“Almost perfect,” a tinge of disappointment pinch Kyungsoo’s chest once distance grows between them; Jongdae leans himself comfortably on the back of his chair, the warm brown of his eyes is a mere dark dot to contrast the white. “You haven’t answered my question, though: where are you now?”

Another waft of biting blow caresses him once again, and Kyungsoo can only cuss silently, regretting the fact that he forgot to slip into something warmer or thicker earlier before he moved the bamboo ladder from the shed to the front yard. “It’s just a small village, Dae. You won’t know it anyway even if you Google it; I bet the search result won’t even be in English. And I would never know it too if it wasn’t because my friend invited me to visit her place.”

“So you’ve been staying there since Christmas? How’s the place? The weather? Do the locals treat you well? And where’s your friend now?”

“No, I arrived here two days before New Year. And easy, dude, you’re asking more questions than my mom!”

Jongdae replies with a scowl. “Shut up. I worry about you.”

“And I’ve told you in every message that there’s no need for you to worry, Dae,” groaning, Kyungsoo buries his face in the tiny gap between his knees. His hands are running up and down on his calf, wishing that the friction will create the much-needed heat. With a single glance, he quickly notices that his cup is already empty – the sight unconsciously invites a low hiss slipping out his pursed lips.

The sound, apparently, doesn’t escape the other guy as Jongdae pops another question. “Are you cold? Why aren’t you wearing any jacket? Or sweatpants? Or anything that provides more coverage? There are only 3 hours of time difference and considering the darkness behind you, Do Kyungsoo, even a toddler knows that it’s already night.”

Kyungsoo, however, only scrunches his nose and puckers his lips in slight annoyance. “Shut up, Dae. Or I’ll leave.”

“Aaaww…” Jongdae coos, beaming like the early morning sun, “Kyungie is being sulky… What a cutie, so cute I want to pinch his cheek.”

“Wait…” knitting his brows, Kyungsoo rests his chin on the knee, unaware of his pouty lips. “That kind of rhymes, Dae. And it’s super lame.”

The other boy merely heaves his shoulders, shrugging with a haughty look plastered on his face. “Can’t help it, Soo. I’m poetic. My heart is soft.”

Again, Kyungsoo only rolls his eyes before fixing his position as well as his laptop, ensuring that the thick wooden board he also brought to the roof still supports the device. His eyes glance at Jongdae’s static figure on the screen, still showing the same smug look, before it moves once again – the other boy’s jaw is moving up and down, munching something Kyungsoo cannot guess.

Lowering his legs, Kyungsoo crosses the limbs and his two hands are secured in the crooks of his knees, a tight gap between his calf and thigh. The silence stretches, filled by the soft song of rustling leaves surrounding the traditional residence – a serene music that’s already grown on him after staying in the village for about two weeks. His body rocks gently, swinging as if it follows certain rhythm the nature creates. Eventually, his gaze lands on the nature-created canvas hovering above him, its surface has been dyed in different shades of black, embellished gracefully by splatters of stars, blinking lazily at him.

That’s not what Kyungsoo’s dark eyes are looking for, though. Rather, it’s the pale glow crescent on the night’s sky, frayed at the sides as if an invisible hand has unraveled its thread.

Soft breath melts into the white noise inside the cave of Kyungsoo’s head, and the voice grows a little louder without straying off the tune. “How’s the moon there?”

“It’s mostly fading, Dae,” the answer slipping out Kyungsoo’s mouth is no higher than a whisper either, melding seamlessly with the hooting sound as the owls have decided to join in the harmony. “Tomorrow, perhaps, it’ll be no more than an arch glowing faintly in the sky.”

“Do you always think of him whenever you look at the moon every night?”

Kyungsoo blinks, and when his eyes flutter open, Jongdae’s side profile enters falls within his line of sight. Something tugs his attention immediately – _Did he cut his hair?_ “Yes. Always.”

“I wish I had the honor of knowing your father longer, Soo,” Jongdae is yet to avert his gaze from something that has seized his attention, something his camera unable to capture although Kyungsoo knows what lies beyond the perimeter. “I wish I was there too whenever he moved the ladder to your yard and carried you on his back as both of you climbed to the roof.”

“Dae,” the puff of air feels warm on Kyungsoo’s face once it escapes his mouth, “you wouldn’t like me at all if we met when we were kids.”

Jongdae’s eyes land on Kyungsoo’s own immediately, and Kyungsoo believes that he can see the warmth veiling the orbs staring back at him. “I was talking about your _father_ , silly. Not you.”

 _Ah, right. He cut his hair_ , Kyungsoo finally notices the fringes that used to spread messily across Jongdae’s forehead is no longer there. “But, to know _my_ father, you should know _me_ first, _silly_. Besides, I’m sure you wouldn’t stand my mom’s scolding whenever we were out to moon gaze. She still believes that he was the one at fault each time I woke up feeling a little feverish the next morning.”

The other male only shoots his eyebrows, skeptic look is drawn clearly on his face. “Who says? There are limitless scenarios of how I might know your father, _genius_ , and knowing you first isn’t always the only way.”

“Well, if you prefer to befriend my dad more than me, then you’re free to go back to sleep since it’s late at your place now.”

“It’s still around 11; moreover, it’s Friday night here. Too early to sleep, you know?”

“So you can leave now and do something more fun, like partying, _you know_?”

“Aww, sulky Kyungie is back…” the tremble in Jongdae’s teasing giggle rings in Kyungsoo’s ears, generating the heat that sparks mysteriously and creeps on his cheeks in an instance. The latter tears his gaze away and unsurprisingly finds it land on the dark sky once again, muttering words of annoyance under his breath. Jongdae, the remnants of his laughter still create the soft timbre in his voice, continues, “But, really, Soo. Imagine how cool my childhood would’ve been if I knew a man who put the full moon up in the sky on the night his son was born.”

“It’s _not_ cool, Dae. It certainly isn’t the right way to introduce astronomy to your kid.” Contrary to his words, though, the words coming from Jongdae’s lips ring clearly inside his head evoke the memories of a man – looking much younger than the last time Kyungsoo saw lying motionlessly inside the casket five years ago, with straighter back and much less wrinkles on his friendly face – flooding his mind. There’s the warmth, a _special_ kind of one, spreading across his chest, tenderly engulfing him in a perfect hug.

Unlike his mother, his father had always been someone who often came up with pretty bizarre ideas; telling little Kyungsoo that it was full moon on the day his youngest son was born and that he was the one who placed the celestial body up is only one of those. But that was how the father and son always ended up spending hours at night to watch the moon at least 13 times in a year – twelve full moons and one special occasion to celebrate the boy’s birthday. And little Kyungsoo couldn’t care less about the light fever and cold he most likely suffered from on the day after. It was for the same reason why he still let his father carried his small body on his wide back all the nights when the moon was full and round, despite the new knowledge his little mind had acquired from an encyclopedia his mother had bought as a present for his seventh birthday.

Little Kyungsoo didn’t cease to believe that his father had gifted him the moon to remind him – remind _them_ – of the day his son was born into this world.

“ _Ngopo kok ning genthèng, Le?_ ”1 The voice brings Kyungsoo’s reverie to an end, and it doesn’t take long enough for the male to notice two silhouettes approaching the back door of a house. Under the warm golden light flushing up the small porch, Kyungsoo immediately recognizes the faces of two females. He waves his hand, acknowledging their presence, as he simply doesn’t understand what the words mean.

The younger female waves back and Kyungsoo watches as both of them exchange some words and the older one – the mother of his friend – enters the house. The other one, however, approaches and stops a few steps away from the said bamboo ladder Kyungsoo placed before. The girl raises his head, her voice is loud enough for the boy to hear, although the distance between them isn’t really that far. As they’re chatting briefly, Kyungsoo senses Jongdae’s curious stare at the back of his head, and the girl’s silhouette soon vanishes when she treads towards her house’s entry door.

A quiet thud soon follows once the door closes under Kyungsoo and the boy returns his attention to Jongdae. “It was my friend’s mom and her cousin; it’s still common here for a family to own a lot of land where the children build their houses at. Well, basically, my friend’s neighbors are also her family or relatives.”

The other boy, nibbling at his lower lip, nods. “So, do you stay at your friend’s house? And where’s she now?”

“Hmm, that’s not necessarily true. I stay in a pavilion outside the main residence, but her family often invites me to their place every meal time. And she’s been out of town since… two days ago. She’ll return tomorrow and help me get stuffs I’ll need before I leave.”

“And how was your New Year’s Eve? Where did you go to? What did you do?”

The air pushed out from Kyungsoo’s lungs is full of quiet laughter. “Come on, Dae,” his finger trails to his right ear, fixing the position of his wireless ear bud. “You’re really asking _a lot_ of questions; it’s so uncharacteristically of you.”

Rolling his eyes, Jongdae scowls while bringing his knees up to his chest. “Shut up, Soo. Told you: I worry about you, okay? And since you’ve been too busy moving from one place to another these few months, it’s difficult for me to catch up. It’s unlike when you were still here as we could meet almost every day.”

“But like I’ve told you, again, there’s no need to worry. Baekhyun, regardless of how annoying he is, has been a quite decent travel partner; he even didn’t mind carrying my luggage with him while I was chasing the bus in Bangkok so I could beg the driver to wait for him…” There’s a pause as Kyungsoo tilts his head, trying to recall the memories from the past where Byun Baekhyun behaved more like a travel mate rather than a breathing ball of trouble. “Wait, I guess that was the only time he helped me. Other than that, he’s been… making me wonder why I let him join me.”

“Well… perhaps because you didn’t tell me? At all?”

The heavy sigh rolls out of Kyungsoo’s lips like a reflex, the boy isn’t oblivious of the slight change in Jongdae’s tone. “Dae…” He straightens his back and fixes the position of his laptop screen. The air entering his lungs makes him frown slightly.

Jongdae’s curt response comes when Kyungsoo’s glancing warily at the dark sky hovering above him. “Hmm?”

“We’ve talked about it, remember?” The frown, streaks of wrinkles knitting Kyungsoo’s brows, remains once he’s met with the indifferent look on the boy’s face.

“Uh-huh. Yes. Last year.” Jongdae throws his gaze, turning to the side where the view of the night’s sky and the quiet neighborhood welcomes him is probably what falls into his field of vision, Kyungsoo guesses.

Another sigh grazes Kyungsoo’s lips. “And I’ve apologized, Dae…” the tone in his voice softens.

Silence slips in and takes no time to settle between them. Kyungsoo waits patiently, not willing to shift his position even when the cold air carrying a distinct aromatic scent brushes the skin he left bare, and Jongdae is still purposefully avoiding his stare. The rustling leaves eventually follows, echoing a loud silence that stretches miles away – the physical distance between their two minds.

Jongdae’s soft breathing grows louder as he throws his back to his desk chair, his long sigh leaves a slightly ticklish sensation in Kyungsoo’s ears. “Sorry, Soo. I didn’t mean to tank the mood, either last year or tonight.”

A small smile spreads on Kyungsoo’s lips. “It’s fine, okay? It’s not like I could expect you to act like there was nothing wrong when I never told you about my actual plan anyway.”

“And that’s why,” Kyungsoo shoots his eyebrows up upon the sudden change in Jongdae’s tone, yet a grin soon follows once his eyes land on the wide smile spreading across the other male’s face, “I’ve _demanded_ you to get me everything from every place, even when you’ve finally started your internship in the U.S. Got it?”

Kyungsoo only nods, the smile is yet to leave his features as no words escape their lips and their eyes meet somewhere along the way. Without the usual disheveled fringes scattered across Jongdae’s forehead, Kyungsoo quietly decides that he likes Jongdae’s latest haircut. Absently, his fingers reach to his forehead as if he’s about to sweep the imaginary strands away from his face only to find nothing – a habit his body has seemingly yet to forget despite living with his buzz cut for almost a month.

His gesture, apparently, doesn’t escape Jongdae’s eyes the moment a burst of laughter soon enters Kyungsoo’s ear, and the latter wishes that the pleasing sound isn’t merely the one produced by an electrical energy through magnetism. “Shut up,” mumbles Kyungsoo, although the smile on his face is nothing but a sign of betrayal – it’s not like he has anything against it, though.

“So…” Jongdae’s crescent eyes grow bigger as the boy leans himself against his desk, his weight is propped by the elbows pressed on the surface. “New York, huh? Can you believe that you’ll be there in a few days?”

“Yeah… I can’t, but it’ll happen anyway,” he replies the beam with his own, feeling the familiarly odd warmth the moment Jongdae’s face fills his laptop screen.

“Are you going to take their job offering once you’ve returned to Korea this summer to finish your final year?”

“I’m still considering it. Besides, I have yet to start my internship, _genius_.”

“Well…” Jongdae rounds his eyes and Kyungsoo watches as the slanted eyebrows crawl upwards in amusement, “you better tell me whatever your decision is because I’ll only wait until the end of summer, okay?”

“Dae, what are—”

“Just a friendly reminder, Do Kyungsoo,” humming his answer, the boy swivels in his chair. The deep tone in his voice, however, doesn’t quite match the playful demeanor he’s showing. “Like I’ve told you before you boarded your plane, I’ll wait for a year before finally chasing you for the answer you owe me.”

Kyungsoo clicks his tongue in a slight annoyance when the video freezes for a few moments, although the audio transmitted to his wireless earphone delivers the message smoothly. “Dae, sorry. The internet—oh wait, it’s normal now.”

Jongdae, however, says nothing as he returns his attention to the other guy. “Soo, I just reali—”

”Kim Jongdae.”

“Hmm?”

“And like I’ve told you before I boarded my goddamn plane, I’ll give you the answer I, as you eloquently put, _owe_. And probably a luggage full of knick-knacks too.” A low hiss escapes his mouth unintentionally as his body shivers under another gust of cold wind. “You’ve known me for years; you should’ve known better than to doubt my words, especially when I’ve promised you something.”

Despite the nod, Jongdae continues in the same heavy tone as he speaks. “Well… while I’ll most likely struggle with Chanyeol to work on our research proposals for the next six months, you’ll be somewhere out of my reach, even further than where you are right now, Soo. I only… worry, because I’m damn sure that you’ll meet not only more people, but also _better_ ones. Heck,” puffing out his cheeks, a huff of air bursts out of his lips as they deflate, “and to imagine that you’ll meet a _better_ man or woman… If someone like Kim Jongin had to swallow the sour taste of your rejection, I cannot imagine how bitter it’ll be once—”

“Dae.”

“—you return here only to tell me that—”

“Dae.”

“—you’ve met someone else, someone perfect, the right one, or whatever you name it—”

“Kim Jongdae,” cautiously, Kyungsoo raises his voice. “Pipe down, please?”

“I can’t,” the said boy pouts. “The very next week, you probably will say good morning when it’s midnight here.”

Kyungsoo cannot quite fight the urge to laugh at Jongdae’s words. “Did you just burst into song?”

“Maybe. I don’t care. And don’t laugh!” The voice coming from the other end of video call raises, signaling nothing but panic. “What’s the time difference between Seoul and New York anyway? I can’t even remember it, damn it.”

“Dae, you’re panicking no—”

“I know!” the answer now sounds almost like a shriek, and Kyungsoo cannot help but chuckle a little louder. “I know I’ve said that I’ve been worrying about you all this time, but I think I’ve been worrying about _myself_ a little more too, you know? You probably wouldn’t dare laugh at me if you were in my shoes, Do Kyungsoo.”

“Dae…” stifling his snicker, Kyungsoo takes a long breath in a hope of easing another urge to burst into laughter, “…why bother your mind with something yet to happen? Chill, dude. It’s not like I’ll fly to New York to find someone else.”

“Bu—”

“Shush!” And Kyungsoo’s lungs push another blow of chortle out his mouth as Jongdae’s jaw hangs open, although there’s also a probability that the video freezes once again. “Don’t worry about anything, okay? Do I also need to say that you shouldn’t worry about us in every message I’ll be sending you from now on? Aside from the one where I greet you good morning when it’s already midnight there?”

Pursing his lips before the lower one juts out slightly into another small pout, Jongdae mumbles, “Now you’re making fun of me.”

“No, I’m not?” Kyungsoo cocks an eyebrow.

Rolling his eyes, the other guy in Kyungsoo’s laptop screen swivels in his chair once again. “Whatever, Soo. Whatever.”

“But hey, speaking of the time difference…” Nibbling at his own lower lip, Kyungsoo’s voice eventually trails off. _Wait, how many hours will it be? Eleven? Ten?_

“Soo?”

The said male blinks. “What?”

“What’s with the time difference?”

“Well… for the next few months, I think I cannot make you accompany me whenever I’m out to watch the moon every month.”

As if someone whips his back, Jongdae launches himself forward; his face, once again, fills Kyungsoo’s screen. “I knew it! You’ll have someone else—”

But Kyungsoo has quickly cut him with a glower, a low noise growling from his throat. “Time difference, remember? It’ll be late morning or afternoon when it’s late night here. Besides, you’ll be hours _ahead_. Damn, it feels kind of weird because I’ll be living in the past… well, sort of. I know.”

“Do Kyungsoo.”

“What?”

“You _silly_ ,” Jongdae’s lips stretch into a wide grin, the tails curl upwards as if they’re too eager to reach the smiling eyes.

Kyungsoo cocks his head. “ _What?_ ”

The pleasant timbre in Jongdae’s voice returns, and the rhythm is unknowingly matched by the pace of Kyungsoo’s heartbeat. “The _moon_!” he beams. “We always see the same side of moon as long as it’s nighttime, regardless of where we are!”

The frown deepens in Kyungsoo’s features, though, as the boy is yet to grasp what the other male is trying to say. “…and?”

“You…” pouting, Jongdae fixes his headset, “Well, I’d like to believe that it’s amazing that we can always see the same side of the moon no matter how far we are from each other. And since I’m kind of living in the future, I can—wait, Soo. It’s a little past midnight here. Damn it, I’m late.”

Raising his eyebrows, Kyungsoo only watches in amusement with no words escaping him. Although, in all honesty, it’s not like he’s got the right word to express the feeling similar to a snug embrace around his chest as he sees his best friend since high school ramble on one topic to another smoothly.

“Well,” Jongdae clears his throat, fixing his position on his chair as his eyes are staring straight at Kyungsoo’s very own. The depth in his voice is one thing about him Kyungsoo hasn’t gotten used to yet, something he discovers only recently ever since the distance between them starts to cover oceans and lands. “Happy birthday, Kyungsoo.”

And to feel the warmth filling up the depth to its brim, to realize that it’s never something Kyungsoo finds in Jongdae’s voice whenever it’s someone else the boy’s talking to, is more than enough to ensure him that the words he owes to him are the answer both of them have been looking for.

“Too bad that there’s no full moon tonight, and I can never express how sorry I’ve been for what I did last year when it was supposed to be special… when we were supposed to see the same full moon, the third one after the day you were born 20 years ago.” Something tugs at Kyungsoo’s heartstrings as he indulges himself in the softness of Jongdae’s two orbs – perhaps, it’s the same invisible hand that frays the moon until it wanes tonight, and the one that stitches it past the early moon phase. “But I do wish nothing but all the best things in this life for you to discover and experience, Soo. Although you’re already perfect, don’t stop being a better person; someone I never cease to find amazing in every way. And, of course, I don’t care if my opinion is absolutely biased,” the crescent eyes deepen along with the smile that spreads wider across the lips.

Ah, as always, Kim Jongdae does give him feelings Do Kyungsoo cannot quite put into words.

“Don’t forget to take care of yourself, Soo; just because I won’t be there to watch over you for the next few months, it doesn’t mean my nagging will be less annoying. I won’t even care if you’ll be completely mad at me since there’s no hesitation in me to ask Baekhyun to join me. And remember, I trust my hunch more than your ‘I’m fines’ whenever you overwork yourself,” scrunching his nose, Jongdae’s gaze narrows. “I’ve known you for eight years, remember?”

Kyungsoo only snickers, his voice clearly doesn’t reflect the words he murmurs not quietly enough to escape Jongdae’s ears. “That’s scary, Dae. Look at me, I’m scared right now.”

“And since you shaved your hair, Soo, you look a lot rounder than I can remember. And with the sky behind you, you look like a moon, you know?”

“Shut up, Kim Jongdae,” Kyungsoo’s laughter grows a little louder as his stuttering heart grows warmer. “Hurry, though. My laptop’s about to die.”

“No. I won’t. Your head is round, like a full moon,” the said male only flashes another cheeky grin. “And, well, I’ll make it short; the rests will be delivered to your inbox, okay?”

“Hurry!”

“This is more like a selfish wish I make for myself, but don’t fall in love with someone else, Soo. And—”

The device sitting in front of him shows nothing but a blank, black screen just when Kyungsoo’s heart forgets a beat. The boy gasps the moment his lungs demand for oxygen, taking in the air and all the scent he’s grown familiar with. His first finger and thumb draws upwards, pinching his nose as his gaze trails to the pale waning moon. The arch, glowing faintly in the night’s sky, smiles back at him.

 

—

 

_From: Jongdae Kim **jongdae.kim[at]mail.com**_

_To: Kyungsoo Do **dokyungsoo12[at]mail.com**_

_Date: Jan 12, 2018, 09:21 PM_

_Whether it’s a crescent, quarter, gibbous, or full moon, or even the new moon we cannot see from Earth, no matter how far we are from each other, it’s always the same side of the moon we find as we look at the night sky. I can tell you how the full moon looks like since I’ll be hours ahead, but I’m afraid that you’ll get tired of always hearing the same answer from me, Soo._

_Because I’d like to believe that all the miles stretching between us are nothing sort of an importance – each time I stare out the window and watch the moon looking back at me, I feel like the distance has vanishes and we’re sitting next to each other just like what we always do._

_Many happy returns._

_And that’s all I have to say about that._

_–kjd_

_P.S.: Safe flight. Let me know once you’ve arrived (and photos as proof)._

_P.S. (1): I would still like you and want to be your friend even if we met since we were kids. Don’t doubt my taste :p_

 

**E N D**

 

* * *

 

 

**Translations:**

1 “ _Ngopo kok ning genthèng, Le?_ ” = “Why are you on the roof, Son?” [Javanese; ‘ _Le_ ’ is a short form of ‘ _tole’_ , a name to address a younger male (usually kids) in Javanese in an affectionate manner.]

 

 

 

 


End file.
